2024 Subaru Crosstrek
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Exterior lighting is the leading concern among 118 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 14 Crosstrek model years with reports.
Of the 2024 reports, 10 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 3 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, driveline, driveshaftNov 9, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRP-23.
Campaign 23V754000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelAug 4, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek and Impreza vehicles. Due to insufficient clearance, the instrument panel harness may contact the steering beam bracket, damaging the wire insulation and causing a short circuit.
A short circuit may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the harness and install an additional clamp on the steering beam bracket. If damage is found, dealers will add protective tape or replace the instrument panel harness, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 3, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-23.
Campaign 23V551000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
118 reports, newest first.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 29, 2025, crash
I was driving with my wife when we were making a left turn. The adaptive cruse control came on. It took control of my acceleration, and steering. I got the car under control, but it was too late. I went across the empty parking lot, and almost crashed into the abandoned building.
Visibility, Aug 18, 2025
Problem with side mirrors. When driving past 55 mph, the mirrors begin to shake so much so that vision becomes blurry. Makes it difficult to merge safely. Both mirrors are impacted, but the driver side is significantly worse. I have had both mirrors and mirror assemblies replaced. However, the problem has not been resolved. Subaru tech said that this has been an issue for other models, but no fix has been made. Subaru tech drove car and confirmed the issue. Says there is nothing they can do to fix the issue.
Visibility, Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of star shaped crack located on the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer referred the contact to a glass specialist to repair the vehicle. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the windshield had shattered while attempting to replace the windshield. The contact was informed that a replacement windshield needed to be ordered. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.
Structure, Aug 2, 2025
My 2024 Subaru Crosstrek was parked in front of my house for 3 weeks in extreme heat. We drove it today to get it driven & we kept hearing wind. I slid open the sunroof inside piece & the sunroof glass was shattered due the vehicle doors being closed for 3 weeks in Las Vegas summer heat. On average the outside heat has been 105. I did not drive for 3 weeks due to having foot surgery. I called the local dealership where I bought the vehicle 6 months ago & they said they would not fix it under warranty. Im taking it to an insurance repair show on Tuesday (8/5/25).
Air bags, Jul 17, 2025
Passenger Airbag does not turn on when someone who weighs 100 pounds or less occupies the front passenger seat. This issue also occurs on my 2024 Subaru Legacy Vin # [XXX] . IT also occurred on the loaner car the dealer gave me which was a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek. I asked two Subaru dealers, Pinebelt in Lakewood, NJ and Lester Glenn in Toms River, NJ to fix the problem; but they stated that they could not adjust the passenger airbag sensor. I told Subaru of America about the problem and they have not responded or tried to address the issue. This is a serious issue that should be addressed by the NHTSA. Additional INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Carry handle, Shell, Base, Jul 15, 2025, crash, fire
Test only, please ignore.
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jun 30, 2025
The affected component of this vehicle is the braking system. When rocks or gravel get stuck to, in, on, or around the brake pads/brakes the braking system is compromised. Yes, The vehicle is available for inspection. When gravel gets stuck in, on, and around the brake pads, the safe operation of the braking system malfunctions. If the vehicle braking system does not work as designed/intended, lives are at risk. When you need to brake, the braking system needs to be reliable. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, upon taking the vehicle back to the dealer, the service manager confirmed this is a known defect by both sales and service teams. The service manager said this happens often and we should expect it to happen again. The service manager told me this vehicle is not to be driven on gravel. This was not disclosed at the time of purchase. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The dealer service department inspected the vehicle when it was towed back to them for service related to this problem. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, there was no warning. The brakes failed to operate properly, they did not completely fail.
Back over prevention, Jun 4, 2025
The infotainment unit on this 24 Crosstrek will display XM ads several times per year that cover most of the unit. These pop up sometimes when reversing or driving covering important information on the screen like maps or backup cameras.
Steering, Suspension, Visibility/wiper, May 23, 2025
There are 2 issues that I have noticed since I bought my car from a subaru dealership 10 DAYS ago. the first is that upon driving at highway speeds (over 50 mph) It feels like the car is jerky and pulls in a shaky rocking manner. this happened continuously, when I was using the cruise control and when I was not using the cruise control. It basically felt like I was driving in 40mph winds that were moving my car independently of what I was doing. The second is also something that happens at highway speeds, my driver side mirror shakes and vibrates so much so that I can't make out the surrounding space, cars and road at all. I scheduled a service appointment at the same dealership immediately. I told them these issues and upon inspection they reported that they do not see or report any such issues that I am concerned about. Stating that these are quote "characteristics" of the car. These are both potentially very dangerous problems that Subaru has stated is not an issue as far as they are concerned. There is a lawsuit about the driver side mirror that was filed in september of 2024. I just bought this car used with 10,500 miles on it and NOBODY mentioned anything in person or on the pre certified inspection checklist, CARFAX report or anything of that nature about these issues which Subaru must actually know about. If I was told about theses issues I would have not bought the car. And they are continuing to deny anything is wrong, saying its just a characteristic of the car. There are no warning lights or messages alerting of this issue within the car.
Electrical system, May 17, 2025
Phone charger does not work. Power was out and I could not charge phone. Best I've ever got was 1% on a 1 hour drive. The phone however gets extremely hot. Anecdotally, my usb port also didn't work leaving me with no way to have a charged phone during a prolonged power outage. The wireless charger is a widespread common problem. Below, I have included links to multiple threads and videos where even more multiple comments are posted of people having the same issue. For background, I use wireless charging on my nightstand, my motorcycle, my work desk, all for this phone, all different chargers in this case. It's the charger not working. It is a 100% real issue and here are all the other countless people having the same problem: [XXX] Same problem from this dealer employee. [XXX] Same problem posted on subaru forum. [XXX] Multiple people complaining about similar issue in this forum. [XXX] Mutiple people reporting a similar issue in this forum as well. [XXX] Guy removing the charger, comment section full of people having the same problem as me. This should be a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Visibility, May 6, 2025
The drivers side mirror vibrates to the point of being unusable at freeway speeds causing a major safety hazard. The car has been in for 3 different mirror housings with no change in visibility and has been inspected 6 times at the dealership. I have been told by the dealership that there is nothing they can do anymore and that it is normal and expected of 2024 crosstreks.
Steering, Apr 27, 2025
The steering sticks when moving it from the null position. It feels as though there is a lock of some sort and one has to exert more force that normal to move the steering wheel in either direction. This is very noticeable when driving on a straight road or highway where normal steering adjustments are just slightly to either side of null. I find myself over adjusting for things like the crown/pitch of the road. Also, cold weather seems to mask the issue. Now that the weather is warming up though, the issue is consistent and seems to have become worse with more miles logged on the vehicle. Please note that this is not related to the lane assist or road departure safety features as the steering issue occurs with neither in use.
Other or unspecified, Apr 19, 2025
This is not a safety issue. But the paint on the car seems to be of poor quality that is easily chipped or stained by bird droppings. The hood of the car has a multiple chips in the paint. The car has been well taken care of and normal driving conditions. For only 18000 miles on the car, the paint seems very thin and poor durability to hold up to normal driving conditions.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 19, 2025
The windshield appeared to have spontaneously cracked overnight while parked on the driveway. The crack formed across the top of the windshield, across the eyesight. The day before, the car was at the dealership for an oil change and tire rotation. Unknown if lifting the car for the tire rotation caused the stress that may have caused the crack formation. The car was taken back to the dealer and the windshield had to be replaced. A claim to our insurance was done because the dealer said this was not covered by the warranty. I did not see any chip in the windshield that would have caused this.
Steering, Apr 12, 2025
I recently have started experiencing a sticky/jerky steering wheel (24K miles). It happens when the car is fully warmed up on longer road trips whether the cruise control engaged or not. In fact, it's worse without cruise control. The steering wheel requires stronger pull and then releases quickly. I could not reproduce it at the dealership as it's nearby and does not require a long trip, but of course right after I left it, the steering wheel started sticking again. The technician did not know what it could be and stated he could not reproduce the issue. There is no issues with alignment or tire balancing. I am noticing it more consistently in warmer weather. It is not an issue at all when it's 20 degrees F. No lights are triggered. I believe this is a huge safety issue as I constantly need to correct the steering when it is stuck. I posted this issue on Reddit with multiple owners experiencing the same problem: [XXX] / It is also the same problem as Honda Civic 2022-2023 models have. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Exterior lighting, Mar 5, 2025
Headlights are pointed low. It is hard to see down the road. The top half of windshield is darker than the bottom half. Car may be safe for city driving, but not for country roads. Going up and down hills and around curves the suv is unsafe. Dealer said they recieving complaints but can not adjust the lights. Sorry I bought such an unsafe suv.
Other or unspecified, Electrical system, Feb 20, 2025
I had purchased my car over a weekend and in less than 2 days, on my way to work, I noticed that the horn volume and reliability was severely diminished to the point where you can't hear it if you have the windows rolled up inside the vehicle, and/or doesnt work at all. I used my warranty to replace the horn and have the dealership take a look at it. they recognized that it was a problem but even after replacing the horn, the issue still persisted.
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 11, 2025, crash
On [XXX] I was driving my ned 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness (420 miles), from inside the "Flamingo Pines Shopping Center” on the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] , City of Pembroke Pines in Florida by the [XXX] , to merge into [XXX] . The traffic coming already on [XXX] southbound stopped 3 or four vehicles ahead of me. Slowly the vehicles in front where merging into the traffic until there was only one vehicle in front of me, a black Jeep. After 2 or 3 more vehicle passed by [XXX] , the road was clear and the Jeep started to move. I started to move slowly behind the Jeep, but turn my head one last time to the left to confirm no other vehicle was coming. When I turn my head back to the right the Jeep stopped completely and I was not able to press the brake on time, ending in a collision with the Jeep. The Eyesight on my Crosstrek didn't work at all, don't even warning me about the Jeep was stopped completely. My vehicle is still in the shop for repairs, due to my car ended with more damages than the Jeep. I had 6 Subaru Outbacks and 1 Forrester before and this situation never happened before. LOCATION IN GOOGLE MAPS [XXX] POLICE REPORT [XXX] PEMBROKE PINES POLICE DEPARTMENT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Jan 23, 2025
Random cracking of windshield while parked. Beginning from the very top of the windshield downward 6-7 inches. No chips, or cracks in the area. Was not hit by anything.
Exterior lighting, Jan 20, 2025
Oem Headlight shadowing on brand new car moves all over the place. It mimics child or wildlife. The reduced area is unsafe.
Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiper, Jan 8, 2025
Headlight performance on this vehicle is extremely dangerous when driving at nighttime. Unless you keep your high beams on constantly, these headlights offer only extremely limited visibility during night driving. From the top of the windshield down about16 inches it's totally black. You can only see out of the bottom half of the windshield. The road in front of you is only lit up for about 60 feet then it's dark beyond that point. Visiblity problem gets even worse when going downhill. Incident #1. . . . I almost ran into a bicycle rider the other night as he was traveling just beyond the area that was lit up by my lights. I was only traveling at about 35-40 mph, but by the time he was visible i was almost not able to avoid hitting him. He was riding his bike just on the edge of the lane of car traffic so he was easily in the line of my car. I was so shaken up, my heart was pounding, that I had to pull over to the side of the road to reflect on what had just happened and to get my bearings again. Now I find myself afraid to drive this Subaru, my new car of only 2 months, at nighttime. Incident #2. . . .Same complaint regarding headlights. The above described problem with headlights gets even more, much more, dangerous when you're driving down an incline such as a hill. Because you're car is going downhill, the available space that is lit up in front of you becomes even more diminished so that you also can't see any curves in the road that are coming up as well as stop signs, pedestrians or other cars!. It's a miracle if you don't end up crashing your car off the side of the road while trying to navigate down that hill. I have complained numerous times at the dealership, but no help. To verify, a rep. would have to drive the car at night time. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE Subaru needs to make this right and correct this HEADLIGHT problem ASAP or there is bound to be drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists injured and/or killed.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 6, 2025
Windshield cracked on the second day I owned the car. No visible incident but it is cracked all the way left to right. The windshield is impossibly thin.
Visibility, Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the garage, the contact became aware that the passenger’s side front windshield had cracked at the bottom without impact. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 6,200.
Exterior lighting, Dec 20, 2024
There is something inside the headlights that produces two shadows that are posing a safety risk. When driving and turning the steering wheel the shadows move which look like a small animal is darting out from the sides. The shadows are a distraction and have resulted in rapid braking thinking I was going to hit an animal. I attached photos showing the shadows up close but they are larger when I am driving. They are about the size of a boot or shoe box.
Exterior lighting, Nov 28, 2024
Headlights on low beam have a very low distance reach. This is more apparent if you are going up or down an incline. On inclines, the Steering adaptive headlights change in such a way that you have very little distance in your sight. There is also a very sharp delineation of light vs dark at its maximum distance at even levels. This give the impression that you have good lighting at short distances then instant blackness. Once you reach a certain distance in the lighting your visual information stream is cut off completely. Worst headlights I have had in 45 years of driving. I wondered if I was going crazy. I looked up the same problem being described on forums. Some suggested write NHTSA and let you know of the problem. I believe it is a serious safety issue which interferes with us being able to see well enough at night.